Hidden calories were part of it for me but the real unlock was a 2-week maintenance plus deload to let water and stress drop; I held calories around TDEE, prioritized 8 hours of sleep, and the week after I dropped 2 pounds with the same macros. From there I trimmed 150 kcal/day, pushed fiber to about 35 g, and swapped one sprint day for 40 minutes of easy zone 2, which kept appetite and recovery in a good place. That yielded a steady 0.7–1.0 lb per week for the next month without turning me into a snack gremlin.
Hey Stephanie, go for a student grade set with lots of small tubes around 18 colors and pick medium or soft body paints so they spread easily and feel less sticky.
Keep them from drying out by working in small dabs and using a damp palette with parchment over a wet paper towel.
